Grumman F3F-3 1/32 Revell/Monogram

[Artoor_K]

Model of 1/32 Grumman F3F-3 by Revell (Monogram) is a very old one - it appeared on the market in the ' 60. For its time it was a great model: it had a retracting landing gear, movable control surfaces and closing canopy. It certainly doesn't look awesome today, but despite the age it's nice one one. Purchased a few weeks ago F3F-3 was finished today. I painted the model with Mr. Hobby, Tamiya, Vallejo and Ak.paint range. I've scratchbuild gun camera, instrument panel, seatbelts and wires on the engine. Antennas are AMMO product. Landing gear is retracting but some work was needed to make it work. Weathering is AK products.

 

I've learned much from this build, for example:

 

-old model means old styrene. Old styrene means fragile styrene. Smaller the part, more fragile then
-bigger model, fewer details
-people at Monogram were clever. Check documentation (especially photos) before blaming anybody for decal error
-people at Monogram were also lazy. One new part doesn't make different aiplane Check your documentation often. Some things aren't difficult in shape and can be built from scratch in no-time
-check fit before sanding, sometimes  flash is really something important
-there is no such thing as thin enough plastic profile to restore raised panel lines. If you think is thin enough then it needs to be thined more
-water-based putty doesn't harm paint. Watered cotton bud used for putty polishing does
-all mechanisms are working better when knobs are metal or made of new styrene profiles
-sometimes montage sequence in instruction is logical
-aluminium foil from yoghurt seal is perfect for seat belts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Artoor_K

[SAT69]

I'm old enough to remember this kit from way back when. Very nice build!

[Toryu]

What a great build of this vintage kit! It's very nice that you kept the movable elements. I remember this model very well as I built one in 1974/75 (?) and converted it to F3F-2 standard, which was not really successful.

The only small note I would have refers to the rigging wires which are too thin. The wires were 0.5 inch wide = 0,4 mm in 1/32. But the overall finish of your model is excellent.

[RMCS]

Lovley 

[mtkrl92]

Great build with excellent rigging.

[John Masters]

Wow!  Nice build indeed.

[Space Ranger]

Beautiful! The kit, being based on Al Williams' Gulfhawk, actually has the shorter span wings of the F3F-2. Lone Star Models makes a set of wings of the correct span and a corrected cockpit.

 

I built the Gulfhawk kit shortly after it was first released. I spent a lot of time and effort on it, and it was my best model up to that point. My dad had avidly followed my building it, and thought the retractable landing gear operated by the propeller a clever feature. It had only been completed a day when Dad decided to test the landing gear. But he turned the prop the wrong way! Before I could stop him, the landing gear went “snap, crackle, pop” into a gazillion pieces. I glued the wheels up and hung the model from the ceiling, but the thrill was gone, and the poor Gulfhawk went to the breakers within a couple of months. I've since acquired a re-release for a future build.

[Artoor_K]

On 4/9/2020 at 2:13 PM, SAT69 said:

I'm old enough to remember this kit from way back when. Very nice build!

Many thanks

 

On 4/9/2020 at 2:51 PM, Toryu said:

What a great build of this vintage kit! It's very nice that you kept the movable elements. I remember this model very well as I built one in 1974/75 (?) and converted it to F3F-2 standard, which was not really successful.

The only small note I would have refers to the rigging wires which are too thin. The wires were 0.5 inch wide = 0,4 mm in 1/32. But the overall finish of your model is excellent.

Glad you like it

 

Well , box of rigging line says 0,3 mm. Perhaps I've stretched it too much so it's too thin. I have thin cooper wire (but thicker than AMMO line) but I had more control glueing rigging line than wire.

 

On 4/9/2020 at 10:14 PM, RMCS said:

Lovley 

 

Thank you

 

On 4/9/2020 at 10:43 PM, mtkrl92 said:

Great build with excellent rigging.

 

Glad you like it. Rigging is like defusing a bomb-one wrong move and you have your pieces everywhere. In this case you have glue everywhere

 

On 4/9/2020 at 10:48 PM, John Masters said:

Wow!  Nice build indeed.

 

Thank you

 

On 4/9/2020 at 11:33 PM, Space Ranger said:

Beautiful! The kit, being based on Al Williams' Gulfhawk, actually has the shorter span wings of the F3F-2. Lone Star Models makes a set of wings of the correct span and a corrected cockpit.

 

I built the Gulfhawk kit shortly after it was first released. I spent a lot of time and effort on it, and it was my best model up to that point. My dad had avidly followed my building it, and thought the retractable landing gear operated by the propeller a clever feature. It had only been completed a day when Dad decided to test the landing gear. But he turned the prop the wrong way! Before I could stop him, the landing gear went “snap, crackle, pop” into a gazillion pieces. I glued the wheels up and hung the model from the ceiling, but the thrill was gone, and the poor Gulfhawk went to the breakers within a couple of months. I've since acquired a re-release for a future build.

This set in Poland is like Yeti. You heard that it exists but no one knows where to find it And if you find it and you see the price then you want it to dissapear

 

I had similar problem with landing gear. Changing knobs to metal ones helps a lot

 

[jeaton01]

Well done!!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Beautiful Model. ... I have the 1/48 kit from accurate miniatures. Its on my sometime soon build list.